I'm trying a new mince pies recipe. I'm not normally fond of mince in too concentrated a form, but the rest of my family love mince pie. The recipe had fresh tangerines and zest and apples in it, so I'm hoping the extra fruit will dilute the mince a wee bit. I'm also thinking of making a homemade Christmas pudding this year. I've never had a homemade one, only those little ones they import from the UK.

And snow! We may have a white Xmas, or at least Xmas Eve. There's a big Pacific storm heading towards us, and depending on timing and how far the temperature drops, we have a good chance for some more snow. It's been years and years since I've had snow at Christmas, so keeping my fingers crossed! For once, no one in my family is working on Christmas Day itself, and though Nin works on the eve, she works close to home, unlike the rest of us. I also decided to take Christmas Eve and Boxing Day off this year, so the long long weekend will be very nice.

And the best thing? We have a freaking oven this year! No having to try and cook a turkey in the BBQ out in the cold like last year.